The military flag fluttered in the north wind, and people cut down trees on the spot to quickly build supports, and then piled up messy textiles and large deerskins to create a large conical tent that imitated the Finnish tribe, and the construction of permanent wooden houses also here we go.

The Vitebsk fortress has received a new life, it has been turned into a large barracks of the Russian army.

The stone-frozen dead bodies of the enemy were smashed to pieces by the long-handled forest axe, and all the real ice cubes were piled up to a place far away from the fortress.

After all, an army of 5,000 to 6,000 people is stationed here, and it is extremely unlucky to have some twisted corpses lying around, and it will greatly damage morale.

Rurik stands here.

Time to give the Bastion Defenders some commendation!

Evande, a young, unmerited warrior of the Principality of Ostara, was recognized by Rurik for his achievements on the battlefield. This kid was immediately absorbed into the standing army, and turned into a candidate for the captain of the cavalry flag, which meant becoming a close vassal of the king.

As for the old man Yellinger, who fought the enemy bravely until he died immediately, Rurik simply held a memorial service for him.

Jellinger's wooden coffin was opened, and the warrior's body was as solid as a rock. The king personally placed some funerary objects inside, and praised his hero in front of the whole army, announcing that the hero's body would be buried in the capital cemetery.

And the new city lord of the fortress was also appointed, and this person was none other than Karl Eriksson.

Even if the surviving defenders somewhat felt that this person was unworthy of morality, he was just sending news to attract reinforcements. This person did not participate in the most difficult **** battle, so why did he become the city lord?

The determination of Rurik and Carlota did not need to seek the will of ordinary young fighters.

After all, this man has pure golden hair, he has a pure Swedish origin, and this kind of person will be reused without accident, this is the basis of Rurik's rule over the kingdom. Besides, it is really a marathon hero to run wildly in the ice and snow at the speed of running a dead horse to deliver the war alarm.

Although ordinary soldiers don't know about "marathon".

After a long journey, the whole army must rest in Vitebsk.

The army is very tired. Considering that the damned Vadim has a strong force, and from the large number of dead bodies they left behind on the battlefield, Rurik has to make a cautious judgmentthey are not equipped with good weapons and equipment, but they are brave enough to attack us rashly. May increase casualties.

The inner city is as solid as a rock, while the outer city wall is full of holes.

The existence of moats around the city basically makes the enemy basically hope that the river freezes and then launches an attack on the city. Even if the outer wall is weak, it is enough to delay the enemy's attack. Even if the enemy rushes to the inner city, facing the stronger city wall, all claims will be thwarted...

King Rurik highly praised the fighting will of the fortress defenders in the largest house in the inner city, and put forward some opinions on the fortress defense system.

At this moment, there are dense tents and huts outside the city. There are tens of thousands of reindeer and horses. These large animals are grazing around the camp, and the camp is already filled with a strong smell of wheat.

In the inner city, Rurik excitedly convened another military meeting to plan for the next battle.

He first made key guiding opinions on the defense of the fortress: "The east gate of Vitebsk was breached. Even if the enemy paid a huge price, the gate was still broken. However, if the gate is being built, build on both sides. The protruding part, our fighters can shoot arrows, throw stones, etc. at the enemy from three directions..."

The bastion lacks its construction concept in this era.

Fortunately, Rurik was a master at drawing, so he did some graffiti with the paper, quill and ink that he brought along with the army.

He publicly re-outlined the underlying logic of Vitebsk city construction in the futurefortification.

"The inner city can still be square and square, but the outer city must be repaired like a hexagram. In this way, there is no flat surface for the enemy to attack. Even if the enemy has a strong force, they can only send small troops to attack the city each time. We're going to have a lot less pressure on our defense."

Because the suture line of the human lens is triangular. When the triangular sides on the front and back are interlaced together, it becomes a hexagonal 60 evenly, and you can see any star

You can see the hexagram.

Rurik simply chose another popular name for the bastion: Star Fort.

"Star Fortress? Interesting. However, this is a fortress I built on my own initiative. Is it really worth your attention?" Carlota couldn't help but wonder.

"One moment and another moment." Rurik looked at the face of his beloved wife: "The fortress is already the front line against Smolensk, isn't it? It is already our southernmost fortress, and its location is also different. General. It is the crossroads on the traffic line.

With that said, Rurik turned to everyone and expressed his attitude towards the Smolensk community.

"My Majesty has no intention of killing all the Smolensk people. It means nothing to our country. On the contrary, we want to conquer them, rule them, and finally make them part of us.

We must kill Vadim, and then purge his remnants in Smolensk. Those village leaders who disobey will be wiped out, and those who submit can be kept.

Besides. It seems to me that the masses of Smolensk peasants are not assertive. Look at the dead bodies everywhere! Their hands and feet are full of calluses, and they are also thin and short. It is obvious that they are ordinary farmers. They must be instructed by the local leaders to fight, and they are not afraid of death. Such a man can obviously fight for us!

I have already thought about it, we can bypass the old local nobles, and we support the new rich among the common people. In the future, I can relocate some of my sons to be local rulers and make sure Smolensk is part of us. "

The plan seems grand, but not everyone can understand the plan.

The king has the strange nickname of "April Stallion" because he really has too many sons. The king's son must be entrusted everywhere in the future to be a small lord. After all, the area around Yinlmen Lake in the elite area of the kingdom is shared by the power of Ross's direct line headquarters and the power of his foreign relatives White Tree Manor. The political alliance between the two parties is the foundation of the kingdom.

But the huge number of little princes are not entitled to a share of the pie here. Fortunately, the world of Eastern Europe is so huge that it surpasses people's imagination in this era. After a lot of hard work, countless settlements can rise from the ground and turn into the territories of various little princes. Defend the frontiers for the kingdom.

The area where the Smolensk community is located has been basically developed. The local rulers have been pulled out, and the people of Rus will rule the people. Rurik's oriental strategy is consciously ingenious.

"What do you think?" He explained to himself and asked again.

For a while, everyone was quite speechless.

Seeing their silent attitude, Rurik couldn't help wondering: "Why? Do you think my claim is unreliable? You all talk."

It was Arik who stood up first: "You think too highly of them."

"Yes." My brother-in-law Medved also said, "I don't think the Smolensk people can accept your rule peacefully. King, we and our allies have been harassing their villages and looting a lot of people and property in the past year. Can they really let go of this hatred?"

"That's right. We did it." Quetzal, a rebellious grassland nobleman, raised his head like a fat fish. "Our behavior will definitely attract their hatred. But I... don't think there is anything wrong with it."

[The app that has been running stably for many years is comparable to the old version of the book chasing artifact, which is used by old bookworms

? There is nothing wrong with it. But their descendants were born and raised in your territory, and they knew from birth that you are a nobleman, and they can only be loyal to you if they want to gain benefits. Rurik slapped his thigh vigorously: "It's not the Smolensk peasants you don't trust, but the leaders. It seems that we need a big purge. Destroy their local nobles and replace them with ours. Of course, among them There may be those who are willing to submit, and I can't guarantee whether their descendants will rebel. If they are all dead, those ordinary farmers can only obey our rule. What do you think?

"Enough." Arik laughed, inadvertently showing ferocious fangs.

"That's fine too."

"But is this killing innocent people indiscriminately?"

"Boring kindness. Kill them all to avoid future troubles."

"Then what about our current enemies? Those who are willing to submit will be spared?"

"Bah! No matter what their attitude is, since they joined the army to attack us, one of them deserves to die."

"Not necessarily. Keeping a group of prisoners of war and punishing them as loggers, sending them to mine ore, or selling them as slaves is better than killing them."

They chattered and discussed, already thinking about the whereabouts of the prisoners of war.

Rurik, who was sitting cross-legged, patted his thigh vigorously again: "You said a lot of things, and we haven't found Vadim yet. Maybe this person is attacking Polotsk, and my king..."

Rurik suddenly made a seemingly aggressive proposition, but in his opinion the most cost-effective proposition: "I plan to gather all the cavalry, and the elite of our army will reach Polotsk as quickly as possible. If the enemy is there, we will destroy them." They! Now our army can gather 2,000 cavalry, and we can quickly attack on the glacier, so I have the advantage.

As soon as the voice fell, it immediately aroused great repercussions.

"Ah? So my first flag team will lose their chance?" Arik exclaimed in confusion, and said, "The reindeer sled is fast enough, and my infantry can also quickly arrive at the scene."

Arik reminded the captains of the infantry flags, and all of them called for a fight.

"That's not necessary." Rurik waved his hand and rejected them: "Isn't the fact proven? The enemy's strength is not as large as in the legend. The situation has changed. Vadim and his army can be wiped out by the cavalry. The king will personally lead The cavalry joins the battle! Let's talk.

Rurik looked at the four cavalry captains present: "In fact, I have always had an idea. It may not be practical, but it is possible to realize it."

"What's that?" Fisk asked.

"Especially you. Do you want to fight in Frank again?" Rurik asked with a smile.

"Of course. Who can refuse wealth? The Frankish world is too rich."

Wealth is relative. Compared with the Baltic Sea region, Frank, which has been deeply cultivated by the Roman Empire and Charlemagne, is indeed rich in products, and it is warmer and more comfortable. Fisk and Brody, who have been to the local battles, have bright eyes!

"Actually, the cavalry can walk along the coastline from New Roseburg to Hamburg in the Duchy of Saxony, and then go retrograde along the road to **** to Cologne, and then walk along the Rhine River from Cologne, and we can reach Nassau, which produces wine. Can meet up with our brothers who stay there lol."

Since all cavalry captains have learned some knowledge from Rurik, they have a clear understanding of geographical structures, especially the arrangement of coastlines in Europe. This understanding is deeper than that of all European monarchs and scholars other than Ross!

The map described by Rurik does have a coastal route to Western Europe, but it only exists in the description so far. Of course, ships of all sizes have roamed freely in the Baltic Sea and the North Sea. The Russian army has not yet measured the European continent by land march. This aspect is unknown to everyone. of.

"Sooner or later, we can try it. Before that, our cavalry still needs to be trained, especially the two new cavalry teams." Rurik looked at the three young men present, especially the ones who had been put on the agenda. Ai Wende, the captain of the fifth cavalry who intends to form in the near future. "You need opportunities to practice long-distance marches and battles, and this opportunity may not be all around you."

For a larger infantry force, Rurik arranged for them to continue resting in Vitebsk.

huge

The infantry is the main force to capture the main area of Smolensk, and they must recharge their batteries. After all, the local environment is full of forests, and the advantage of the cavalry will be greatly weakened. Maybe the cavalry will have to send out manpower to be dismounted infantry to participate in the battle!

What everyone is worried about is that Rurik does not believe that the local nobles will accept the physical cleansing obediently. Maybe Vadim was killed here, and the next step is to fight a decisive battle in Smolensk. The enemy's homeland operations are waiting for work, and the main infantry of the Russian Army should take a rest in Vitebsk.

So, on this day, Rurik issued an order for the cavalry to assemble.

Four standing army cavalry units, Ostara Cavalry (Department of Carlotta), Demyansk Cavalry (Department of Steppe Princess Beya Hill), Steppe Cavalry (Pecheneg allies) and a small number of Kiev horses The guest (Wladyslav's people), forcibly pieced together a cavalry team with a strength of two thousand.

They are widely equipped with bows and crossbows, and they give priority to grassland riding and shooting in combat, and do not organize wall riding attacks unless necessary.

In Rurik's view, this is a very rogue tactic. Against unarmored light infantry, even against Frankish heavy cavalry, the non-contact shooting tactic of kite flying is effective. Unless, the enemy is fully equipped with plate armor and is immune to the crossbow shots of the Ross people.

This also lies in Rurik's perception of cavalry.

At present, the cavalry has not yet been upgraded to become the core of the Ross King's army, even though the status of this unit is rapidly improving. At present, the main force of the Ross Army is still the traditional naval power and the "Marine Corps", and its operations rely more on the sea and inland rivers. The infantry is naturally the main force because of its huge mobilizable force.

As for the cavalry, it is perfect to use it to bully the weak.

Because the current Rurik can't believe that Vadim and his army are strong based on the inspection of a large number of dead bodies of the enemy.

The cavalry was gathering, and on the night before the day when they decided to set off, as night fell, a strange celestial phenomenon suddenly appeared in the western sky.

Rurik was invited by his subordinates to watch a play outdoors.

"My lord, is the sky red? I feel like there's a forest fire there?" The guard trembled in shock.

Rurik glanced disdainfully: "Boy, are you afraid?"

"I'm not afraid."

"You are short-sighted. There... it seems to be in the direction of Polotsk?" Rurik thought for a while, and suddenly stomped his feet: "Ah! Oops!"

That night, a temporary military meeting was held again, and now there was no need to discuss the attitude towards Smolensk.

Rurik made a decisive decision in front of everyone: "It seems that we all underestimated Vadim! He learned war in the war, that guy is reckless but not a fool. He is attacking Polotsk."

But how can you see it?

"Everything is so similar! Ten years ago when our army went on an expedition to Gotland, our army set fire to Visby, and the sky turned completely red. Any fire attack on the city will burn the sky red."

"Ah! If you say that my local defenders have collapsed?!" Carlotta turned pale with rare shock.

"You...you better prepare for the worst!"

"Damn! Damn Vadim!" Carlotta snarled towards the west even more rarely. It took her a lot of effort to complete the direct rule of Polotsk. The large-scale marriage ensured that she was a foreign upstart. local status.

Could it be that the brash Vadim ruined everything? !

After all, there are hundreds of Ostara boys stationed in the fortress~www.mtlnovel.com~ Even if they are of Slavic ethnicity, their identity is after all Ostara people. Carlota, who lacks clansmen, cherishes every soldier under her command, so she specially arranged marriages for this group of boys in Polotsk.

No one questioned Rurik's conjecture. No matter how you think about it, it is impossible to ignite forest fires in the world of ice and snow. Besides, forest fires are extremely rare in the north.

Vadim's attack on the Novopolotsk fortress was deemed highly likely.

The problem is so simple.

As a result, the cavalry had a clear goal, and everyone believed that Vadim himself must be supervising the fire attack. The cavalry appeared just to attack the rear road, maybe not straight

To pick up the captives, behead and shoot them in a chaotic battle. Rurik no longer insisted, if he couldn't catch the dead, he could just find the dead body and quarter it.

Secondly, the enemy is attacking the stronghold of the Ross Kingdom again, which is a shame. The whole army has more reasons to take revenge, and the cavalry, which is obviously mixed, is now more united than ever.